New kitchen, help with choosing appliances!

[Greyhoundmum]

Hi LeeJ just read the bit in your post about the 900 freestanding oven I used to have one of those a DeLonghi duel fuel. Fantastic for cooking large meals but a nightmare to clean, the cast iron tops were too large to fit in the sink and I had to clean the, outside or in the  laundry.  My husband chose it!!!! But never cleaned it!   I'd say think very carefully about the big freestanding ovens!!

[EmeraldSue]

I have an Asko dishwasher, and I really love it. My dishes fit in it much better than my mother's Miele one. However, she loves her Meile .
I recommend taking part of your everyday dinner setting and glasses with you and try them in the dishwashers that you are considering buying to see how well they fit.
My brother has a freestanding 900 mm Ilve oven Nd he hates it.
I have a 900mm Linea oven and have never been happy with it. I am currently waiting for a new hinge and thermostat for it.
My mother has a blanco 600mm oven plus a smaller Blanco oven. I think that  a 1 1/2 600mm oven combo is better than one 900mm oven. If I just want to cook one thing in the o ven, I feel guilty heating up the whole oven as it seems a waste of power. Most people I know with the combo find that they use their small o en most of the time. However, the 900mm is great at Christmas when I'm cooking a lot of dishes, and I can fit 4 trays of biscuits at the same time. It's also good if you need to cook a giant Snapper!!
Have a think about what you use the oven for and it you really need the extra width.
I have always had a Sharp carousel microwave which has always been reliable, however, next time I would look at a convection one so that I don't need to heat up my big oven for small things.

[Jamberie]

I like the idea of two ovens a small and a 600mm. Great for those times when you want to cook two things at different temps or just using the size you need at the time. We are looking to upgrade our kitchen soon and will certainly be getting two ovens, and am yet to decide if we willwill get 2x 600mm or 1x 600mm and a half size....maybe the latter as it will be cheaper upfront and cheaper to run.
We are also looking into options for an extraction fan specifically for the TMX...however have not done enough research to pass on yet!

[Wonder]

I have a 900mm freestanding Smeg and am very disappointed in it - would never go 900 mm again and would never go Smeg based on ths experience. Just waiting for it to die (it's only 5 years old) so I can justify a new one!

[LeeJ]

It seems you guys are going to save me a world of pain and regret!

Looks like I need to revisit the freestanding idea. I was liking the idea of a larger oven to do things like bake a batch of cookies in one go.

[Greyhoundmum]

That's wise LeeJ. If you have the space then two smaller ovens great .pop over to the section with photos of kitchens.

http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=7397

[KarenH]

I agree wholeheartedly with GHM ...... if you have the space, 2 ovens are fantastic.  I never realised how often we would use both of them at the same time until we had them both.  You can cook 2 different things at different temps, or else use one oven to keep things warm while you cook in the other.

[50plusandlovinglife]

We are building a new house, currently I have a 900mm oven and it is great, but in the new house I wanted a double oven, however after speaking with our appliance supplier, he told me that a double oven is not the way to go if I wanted more cooking space as the second oven even if the same size, is generally only a grill or warmer. He told me the best way to go is to have 2 of the same ovens one on top of the other and all that has to happen is the cabinetmaker outs a shelf to sit the top oven on, he explained that with the 2 ovens together the fascia is only mm's apart so it looks like a double oven, I have taken his advice and that is the way I am going to go.

[Greyhoundmum]

I agree 50plus. I have two ovens same side by side but second oven has addit features, it steams and microwaves as well as normal oven functions.  Way to go I reckon!!

[Shazzy]

Recently we have had to replace our kitchen appliances. We ended up with a bit of a mish mash but we are very very happy. Got a Bosch pyrolitic oven and a Bosch combination oven/microwave (which I just love as I have the flexibility of 2 ovens but also a microwave) a St George cook top and a Miele rangehood. We also had to replace our diswasher and ended up with an asko which is great.

[LeeJ]

Shazzy,

Does the microwave/oven just require power?

Certainly lots to think about! I don't have enough space to have then on top of one another, but I have a space in my walk in pantry room for my current microwave, and I'm wondering if the microwave/oven set up might be able to slide in there!

[Halex]

2 ovens is a winner, that was my first choice when we built, but it didnt work out. I do love my huge 900mm wide oven, you can fit o much in

[Shazzy]

It required an electrician to come in and change the power abit. The one I have is a full built in oven so wouldnt work in the pantry unfortunately.  I know many others here on the forum though have a combination microwave/oven that is free standing. The only requirement though for that is to make sure there is plenty of space around it I think. Sounds like people love them though - so that may be a good option for you.

[Yvette]

The freestanding one is the Whirlpool